Construction to expand the museum’s “Sharks! The Meg, The Monsters & The Myths” exhibit—which opened May 27—is expected to finish July 15.
In the new gallery, larger permanent 30-inch-high tanks will replace the temporary touch tanks on display. The new tanks will hold around 7,000 gallons, which is about 10 times the size of the temporary tanks, said Nicole Temple, the museum’s vice president of education and exhibit curator, in an email to Community Impact. The shark tank spans 28 feet long and 16 feet wide, and the smaller invertebrate tank is 16 feet long and 6 feet wide.
In addition to benthic sharks and invertebrates, there are plans to add rays to the tanks, Temple said. The bigger space will also feature new digital interactive displays and a “research station” for children.
“The interactions people have with these animals and the observations of their behavior really allow visitors to connect with them and hopefully internalize how important sharks are to us,” Temple said.
The interactive features and text include objectives related to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills as well as Spanish translations. All displays are accessible to blind and low-vision visitors, deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, and those in wheelchairs.
The exhibit opened with the goal to dispel popular myths about sharks, according to an April news release. Visitors can view live animals, life-size shark models and physical interactive features, among other features.
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